Filling In The Holes
by bttf4444
Summary: These are a collection of vignettes, aka hole-fillers, for the BTTF Trilogy. Just revised Bad News on October 13 of 2008, and Circle of Friends on October 27 of 2008. Two new fics! Memento of the Future is Chapter 3, while Letter of Crisis is Chapter 8.
1. Bad News

**Disclaimer: I do not own Back to the Future.**

**Author's Note: This story is in response to October's Challenge of last year. Marty calls up Jennifer to deliver the bad news about the car. Obviously takes place in Twin Pines Universe.**

_October 25, 1985  
7:30 PM PST_

Today was a rather bad day for Marty McFly. Granted, it wasn't the worst day he ever had. Still, this was one of those days that Marty wouldn't wish to repeat.

First, Marty blew up the amplifier in Doc's garage - as he decided to practice his guitar. The force managed to push Marty back into a bookcase, causing him to have a sore back. Granted, Doc did warn him about the amplifier - but there was really one major problem with that. The warning actually came _after_ the fact!

Marty was then late for school, as Doc turned the clocks 25 minutes back. Just exactly why, Marty couldn't figure out. As this was the fourth day in a row that Marty being late, he had to stay in after-school detention.

Marty, at least, was able to make it to his band's audition. However, the audition judge decided fail Marty's band - called The Pinheads. The judge insisted that band was "just too darn loud". On top of everything, the judge bore a strong resemblance to Huey Lewis - who happened to be among Marty's favourite musicians. In fact, the band decided to do their own rendition of The Power of Love - which was a latest hit of Huey Lewis and The News.

After Marty went home, he found out that Biff Tannen - who happened to be the superviser of Marty's father - ended up totalling the family car. This greatly upset Marty, as his father had promised to loan the car to Marty - so that he could take Jennifer Parker, his girlfriend of nearly two years, to the lake.

Speaking of Jennifer, Marty realized that he needed to call up her - to deliver the bad news to her. While his older brother, Dave, had a car - it wasn't in very good working condition. In fact, the car was in for repairs - which meant that Dave had to take the bus to Burger King, where he worked as a fry cook.

When Marty's mother, Lorraine, left to attend a meeting - Marty headed off to his room, so that he could call Jennifer. Marty just couldn't understand why his mother disapproved of Jennifer. She was a very supportive girlfriend, and she tried to be polite to everyone. His mother certainly seemed to be such a prude.

He remembered how, as the two were sitting in The Courthouse Square, Jennifer mentioned that she would be by her grandmother's place. She wrote her phone number on the back of the Save The Clock Tower flyer - which he received from Carol Vincent, who was the leader of the Hill Valley Preservation Society.

After three rings, Jennifer's grandmother answered the phone. "Hello, this is Eleanor Parker speaking. Who is this?"

"This is Marty McFly," explained Marty. "Um, Mrs. Parker, I'm wondering if I could... could speak to Jennifer."

"Oh, sure! Just a minute,' replied Eleanor Parker. In the background, Marty heard her calling, "Jennifer! Sweetheart! There's a Marty McFly on the phone for you."

"Tell him I'll be right out," Jennifer called back.

"She'll be right there," Eleanor Parker said, to Marty. "It'll just be a sec."

"Oh, thank you, Mrs. Parker," Marty replied, politely.

Jennifer's grandmother seemed to be very nice. He thought of his own grandmother, Stella Baines. She was Lorraine's mother - and, strangely enough, she didn't seem to be all too strict. Marty always loved to spend time with him.

Marty then thought of Grandpa Sam - who died, when Marty was just a small boy. As a result, he didn't know his grandfather that well. Apparently, though, he was a very strict man - which was what, very likely, rubbed off on Lorraine. He was also the one to run over Marty's father, by accident.

After about a minute, Jennifer finally picked up the phone. "Uh, hello, Marty. I'm very sorry about the wait. I just stepped out of the shower."

"Oh, Jenn, that's no problem," Marty replied, gently. 'Listen, Jenn, I'm afraid that I have some very bad news for you."

"Oh, what happened, Marty?" Jennifer asked, concerned. "Did your mom find out?"

"I won't be able to use my dad's car, tomorrow," explained Marty, sadly. "You see, he loaned his car to Biff Tannen - who happens to be his superviser... and a complete asshole! Anyway, Biff wreched the car - while he was drinking, no less. I mean, he completely totalled it. I just wish Dad the guts to say 'no' to Biff. He insists that he's not very good at confrontations, though."

"Oh, Marty, I'm so sorry about that," Jennifer replied, quietly. "I'm very bummed about this, y'know. I'm mean, we've actually been waiting for a few weeks."

"Yeah, really," Marty said, sighing, "tell me about it. I really do love my dad, Jenn. I mean, honestly, I do - but I sometimes get so damn frustrated with him. I mean, Biff has been bullying Dad since... since they went to school together. Even after over thity years, Dad never had the courage to stand up to the asshole. I mean, I try to be a very nice person - but there's no way that I'd let people walk all over me. I don't understand why Dad can't be a little more assertive. It's almost like he's a glutton for punishment. I mean, why's he even still working for the man?"

"Your dad seems to be rather, uh, masochistic," Jennifer suggested, sympathetically. 'It's pretty common for people who... who are victims of abuse. It's their way of, well, coping with the pain. I'm just as disappointed about the car as you are, Marty. Please don't be too hard on him, though. Your dad is just the way he is."

"Yeah, you're right, Jenn," Marty said, sighing. "It's just that Mom gets so depressed, because of Dad's inability to stand up for himself. I sure beginning to think that Linda is right. Mom just married Dad, because she felt sorry for him. I'm really not saying all this to be mean - but it's hard to argue with Linda's logic. I don't think my parents even have anything in common with each other. I mean, they seldom ever do anything together! The thing is, Jenn, I don't even remember the last time that my parents had a serious... y'know, heart-to-heart... discussion with each other."

"How did your parents meet, anyway?" Jennifer asked, with curiosity.

"Grandpa Sam, my mom's dad, hit _my_ dad with his car,' Marty explained. 'I guess Dad was bird watching, or something - and he fell in the middle of the street. That was when Grandpa hit him with the car. As a result, Grandpa took Dad into his home - and that's how Mom met him. I guess Mom really felt felt sorry for Dad, so that's why she offered to go with him to The Enchantment Under The Sea Dance. Apparently, that was where they had kissed... for the very first time. That must've been some kiss!"

"Ah, I see," said Jennifer, with understanding. "'I think you'd call that the Florence Nightingale effect."

"What does that mean, Jenn?" asked Marty.

"The Florence Nightingale effect is where a woman falls in love with a man," explained Jennifer, "because he's weak, and... Well, she wants to take care of him."

"That really sounds like my parents, all right,' Marty said, sighing. 'I wish that I could go back in time, and make my parents meet under different circumstances. I'm sure that we'd have a happier family life, if my parents met... under different conditions. Oh, well, I suppose it could be much worse. At least, my parents are not physically abusive. I also don't have Biff for a father!"

"That's true," Jennifer said, gently, "even though I understand that your mom's gotten verbally abusive, a few times. Even just last week, for instance."

"Yeah, when she's very drunk," Marty replied, quietly. Marty did remembered what happened, just eight days ago - when his mother blasted him out, and called him a disappointment. Lorraine apologized, later that evening. The event still left an emotional scar on Marty. Lorraine very seldom ever hugged Marty, or told him that she loved him - which was the kind of affection that Marty desperately craved for.

"Anyway," continued Jennifer, "we'll have to try to plan the trip, for another time. I don't blame you for being a bit annoyed with your dad. I agree that he shouldn't let Biff walk over him like that. Anyway, you have a nice night."

"Yeah, Jenn, I'll try," replied Marty, sighing. "Well, anyway, I love you. Maybe we can try to catch a movie, sometime tomorrow - or eat at Francesca's Italian Diner. It's not quite the same thing as, well, going to the lake - but, at least, it'll be something.'

"Sure, Marty," Jennifer said, softly. "You take good care of yourself. Try not to feel too upset, okay? I really do love you."

"I love you, too, Jenn," replied Marty, as he hung up the phone.

Marty decided to lie on his bed, and rest for awhile. After all, he was supposed to meet Doc Brown - at 1:15 in the morning! He wondered what Doc's major project could possible - and why he needed Marty to be there, at such a strange time! He really had no idea, just what was to lie ahead.


	2. Circle of Friends

**Author's Note: This story is written in response to November's Challenge of last year. Lester is the boy who accuses "Calvin Klein" of taking Biff's "wallet", when Marty returns to 1955.**

_November 10, 1955  
4:00 PM PST_

Marty McFly was sitting at the dining room table of his future grandparents' - Arthur and Sylvia McFly - home. He simply was playing cards with his future father, George McFly - along with his friends, Lester Collins and Billy Stockhausen.

George, Lester, and Billy knew Marty as "Marty Klein". Marty's future mother, Lorraine Baines, saw the name "Calvin Klein" written on Marty's underwear - and she figured it to be his real name. However, he decided that he just preferred to be called "Marty".

"So, Marty," asked Lester, "you're actually a member of the coast guard auxiliary?"

"Uh, yeah, I am," replied Marty. Of course, Marty wasn't _really_ from the coast guard auxiliary. It was rather what some people assumed of Marty, because of the vest that he wore - as he first arrived in 1955. As the vest was orangish-red, some people mistook it for a life preserver. Thus, it ended up being Marty's cover story.

"So what brings you over here, Marty?" asked Billy.

"Uh, I'm, uh," stammered Marty, "I'm here visiting my uncle, Dr. Emmett Brown." That really wasn't the truth, of course - even though he was rather close to Dr. Brown. He never intended to travel 1955. Doc was actually his only hope of returning to 1985.

"Oh, I remember him," gushed Lester. "He was our third-grade teacher. He was very nice, and he actually made learning fun. I should maybe visit him, sometime."

"Sure, I don't see any harm in that," Marty said, gently. "He's probably love to be visited from some of his former students."

"He always gave us treats on Friday," added Billy. "Ah, I sometimes miss elementary school. We didn't get that much homework, back then."

"Biff Tannen wasn't in our class," said George, "as he was one grade above us, at the time. However, I remember how he was always making fun of Dr. Brown - and singing mocking songs about him. I really think he secretly was rather jealous, that Dr. Brown wasn't his teacher. We actually weren't bullied quite as much - back in those days."

"He may have been just mimicking the adults around him," Lester suggested. "I know many people around town consider him to be Crazy Old Doc Brown."

"I just don't think that's right," Marty said, shaking his head. That was one of Marty's pet peeves. He resented how some people were very quick to shun his friend, based on the rumours "If people would just give him a chance, they might come to like him."

"I sometimes think children are more openminded than adults tend to be," Billy said, sighing. "I mean, it was much easier to make friends - when we were in elementary school. As George just mentioned - we weren't bullied quite as much, back then."

"I'm kind of surprised that you don't mind our company," Lester said, smiling at Marty. "I mean, most of our peers don't want to have anything to do with us."

"Yeah, well, I try to be friends with everyone," Marty said, smiling. "I really don't believe in hating anyone. I can't even honesty say that I hate Biff Tannen, even though I'm certainly not too fond of him. I think this world would be a much better place, if we all showed love for one another."

"I definitely agree with you, Marty," said George. "I sometimes think that, if aliens came to visit our planet, they would be dumbfounded by how much hatred and strife we have on this planet."

"I sometimes wonder if we humans are the most savage species on the planet," Billy said, shaking his head. "I mean, I sometimes feel ashamed to be part of the human race - considering just nasty some of us can be."

"Yeah," said George, nodding, "and I sometimes wonder if I'm really from another planet. All you have to do is listen to the news, to see just how corrupt this world can be. I mean, I really don't have too many friends, other than you guys."

"Maybe, in about thirty years or so," suggested Lester, "we'll have global peace and harmony. I hope the atomic wars that have been predicted never come to pass."

"Uh, I wouldn't count on it, Lester," said Marty, shaking his head. "About having global peace and harmony, I mean. I hate to be so pessimistic - but I think that we, as a human race, can be inherently selfish. It seems so simple to think we could all just be kind to one another - and I really don't understand why some people can be so nasty. I believe in taking a 'live and let live' approach to life. It would be so nice to think that we could, one day, achieve utopia - but I'm not sure if we ever will see that day."

"Well, at least not in our lifetimes," said George, shaking his head.

"Hey, Marty," Lester asked, turning to Marty, "do you believe in reincarnation?"

"Uh, no, I can't say that I do," replied Marty. "I believe those of us who are nice, and care about humanity, will go to heaven when we die. People who just spread evil and malice will go to hell. I sure hope that Biff learns to change his ways, before he dies."

"I agree with you, somewhat," said Billy. "Only I believe that those who are evil create their own hell. Those of us who care about humanity also create our own heaven. That's exactly why I try not to let Biff Tannen and his gang get to me. I understand how they will, one day, receive their comeupance - just like we will, someday, receive ours."

"You can chalk it up to karma," added Lester. "Even the Bible mentions karma. You know, that verse that mentions how you will reap what you sow."

"That's one of my favourite Bible verses of all time," said Marty, as this was an issue that he felt strongly about. "It's also quite true. There is also, of course, the Golden Rule, do unto others as you would have done unto you."

"It looks like your parents raised you the right way," George said, smiling at Marty. "I also believe in turning the other cheek, which is why I actually refuse to fight Biff."

Marty sighed. He simply hadn't thought of why his father never stood up to himself before. He could rather understand his father's reasoning, somewhat. Still, it didn't exactly mean that it was wrong to defend yourself from bullies.

"Uh, George," Marty said, gently, "I agree that vengeance is not the way to go... that we should forgive those who do us wrong... and that we should love and pray for our enemies. Still, I do not believe this quite means that we should allow people to walk all over us. I believe that it is very important to have some self-respect - and I also believe that it's important to defend those that we love.'

"I guess you're right, Marty," George said, sighing. "It's just that my parents raised me to be pacifistic. Besides, I would rather have a few friends who actually like me for who I am - than to have many friends who like me just for who they expect me to be."

"Again, I don't argue with that," Marty replied, softly. "I guess what I am saying is, why do you keep letting Biff bully you into doing his homework? I mean, he should do his own homework. You're not his personal slave. George, you are your own person."

"Marty is right, George," added Lester. "You should just tell him that, no, you will not do his homework. The reason why Biff pushes you around, is because he knows that you're a pushover. You should stop being such a pushover."

Marty smiled gratefully at Lester, and said, "See, George? Lester agrees with me. I understand that you want to be liked - but, let's face it, Biff and his gang sure don't like anyone. The other thing is, you really should follow your dreams. As my uncle is always saying, if you put your mind to it, you could accomplish anything."

"I quite want to believe it, Marty," George commented, softly. Marty placed his hand on Marty's shoulder. Within the last few days of interacting with his father's younger self, he learned so much about his father. There really seemed to be hope for him!

"Well, George, it definitely _is_ true," assured Marty. He figured that, with a lot of encouragement, Geoge might be able to overcome his insecurities. "If you really love writing science fiction stories... Well, just go for it! I rather think that you should just let us read your stories. You shouldn't be so shy, George. I mean, I'm your friend."

"Yeah, I really would like to read some of your stories, too," added Billy.

"Yeah, George, we _are_ your friends," said Lester. "You could, at least, let your friends read your stories - can't you?"

Marty felt sudden anticipation, as he was curious to find out more about his father's stories. If anything, he might even give his father some pointers. It sure seemed as though it'd be a waste, if his father never gained the courage to display his talent.

"Yeah, I suppose," said George, sighing. Marty breathed a sigh of relief, as he saw a hint of a smile on his father's face. "Thanks for the pep talk, buddies. You guys really are such good friends." Marty smiled, as he realized that he made some progress.

"Yeah," agreed Lester, smiling, "we're a circle of friends."

"You're a great friend, too, George," added Billy.

Marty gave George's shoulder a gentle squeeze, "Just keep your chin up, buddy. You sure are a great person, George. You really are." Flashing a lopsided smile, he asked, "Now, George, how about those stories?"

George smiled at Marty, with gratitude. It seemed obvious, that George viewed Marty as no other friend he had before. Marty actually felt great, knowing that he could just make a big difference in his father's life. George quite seemed to have some potential.


	3. Memento of the Future

**Author's Note: On a Monday morning, before taking off for work, Doc ponders over his closeness to Marty - and finds the scraps of the letter that Marty wrote to him. This story takes place in the Lone Pine Timeline, which applies to many of my universes.**

_November 14, 1955  
6:30 AM PST_

Dr. Emmett Brown sighed to himself, as he was preparing to head off to work. He sure felt lonely, as he was already really missing Marty McFly. He just decided to head over to Holt's Diner, and grab some breakfast. While the past week was rather stressful for him - he truly did enjoy the company of the young man. He was real fun to be around.

Doc glanced at the boxes, where he stored all of Marty's 1955 clothes. He just wasn't sure of whether to keep them around, or give them to a thrift shop. While the clothes would serve no real practical use to him, he certainly couldn't bear to part with them.

He then glanced at the diagram that he built, for sending Marty home. While a part of him felt as though he should just destroy it, he quite couldn't bring himself to do it. He couldn't actually bear to part with anything that reminded him of young Marty McFly.

He remembered the night that Marty first showed up. Initially, he felt that kid had to be some sort of prankster - as some of the neighbourhood kids simply weren't above pulling pranks on him. Upon realizing that the kid's claims actually were true, he grew to become very fond of Marty - who actually managed to bring life into the mansion.

Doc reached into his coat pockets, to see if he had any loose change. He found that there were a bunch of paper scraps inside one of the pockets. Doc wondered where that could've come from. What on earth could he have possibly decided to tear up?

Upon surveying the scraps of paper, he realized that one of the scraps contained the address to Lou's Cafe. Another one mentioned "1985". Doc was very taken aback, as he realized that this was the letter that Marty wrote to him. Doc couldn't believe it.

"Great Scott!" gasped Doc. Copernicus, Doc's sheepdog, perked his ears. "This is that letter! I was certain that I scattered these scraps into the four winds!" Realizing that, subconsciously, he simply must've shoved the pieces into the pocket - he was starting to have second thoughts. "No, I mustn't! I do admit that it's tempting, but it's risky."

Doc glanced at the fireplace, realizing that he should throw the scraps in there. There seemed to something stopping him, though. After all, Marty was the one to write that letter - and the loss of the young man was beginning to leave a big hole in his heart.

_Why is Marty's loss really hurting me, so badly?_ Doc pondered, confused. _He's not born, yet! He's not supposed to even be a thought in anyone's mind. We haven't even had our first official meeting. By the way, how do I end up meeting this kid?_

_But I_ did _meet Marty!_ Doc countered himself. _He quite spent a whole week in this mansion! He actually was here, right in the flesh!_ Doc shook his head. _Time travel can be rather confusing. This was my first time of meeting Marty. However, this wasn't_ his _first time of meeting_ me_! This is starting to make me feel dizzy!_

Turning his mind back to the letter, he felt a very strong urge to tape the scraps back together. It didn't seem very right, though. He glanced at the fireplace, realizing that he should really throw the scraps there! What exactly was it, that was stopping him?

Of course, there was a fact that he missed Marty - and it'd be a real long time, before the young man would come back into his life. However, he felt that there was actually something else. He felt as though, if he burnt the letter, he'd simply come to regret it.

He then thought of how, all last week, Marty had been pushing to tell him something - and Doc refused to listen. On Saturday, he finally snapped at Marty - as he was quite annoyed with Marty's persistence. He couldn't quite understand why Marty was being so hard-headed about the whole thing. Why could Marty understand how Doc felt?

Doc then thought of the video, which Marty filmed in 1985. Apparently, it contained Doc's first time travel experiment. He suddenly had a real feeling that the video had something to do with it. What could it be, though? What could really be so drastic?

Doc then remembered the hug Marty that gave to him. While Marty really had been a huggable type of person, something about that hug seemed to be quite different. He really seemed to be... sad? He also mentioned something about about "missing" Doc.

Why would Marty miss Doc? Wouldn't he simply see Doc again... in 1985? Also, when the time became rather critical, Marty suddenly became very hesitant - as though he was actually beginning to have second thoughts. After a whole week of just wanting to return to 1985, something seemed to change Marty's mind. What exactly was it?

_Oh, what the hell?_ Doc thought, as he made his final decision. He realized that, if he didn't read that letter, those thoughts would simply keep bugging him. Anyway, he could always burn the letter... _after_ reading it. He finally reached for the tape.

He really owed it to Marty, to find out what could be so important. He glanced at the clock, realizing that he no longer had time to eat out. He would simply only have time to scramble up some eggs. Still, he needed to read that letter - before taking off.

Of course, Doc did quite enjoy his job. He loved being around small children - and he actually hoped to, one day, have children of his own. Perhaps, he would name them Jules and Verne - after his favourite author. Anyway, he just appeared to get along better with small children - than he did with most adults, who could be judgemental.

The job actually seemed to be harder than he thought, as he managed to tear up the letter quite thoroughly. Still, he needed to find out what it said. Otherwise, he'd quite end up being distracted - for most the day. The children certainly didn't deserve that!

"Finally!" exclaimed Doc, and he patted Copernicus. "I can finally figure out what it is, that Marty quite wanted to tell me. Then I should make some breakfast, and head off to work. You're a great friend, Copernicus - but I really am beginning to miss Marty."

"Dear Dr. Brown," Doc began reading. "On the night I go back in time, you will be shot by terrorists at 1:30 AM." Doc was so stunned, as he fully understood why Marty was rather persistent. "Please take whatever precautions are necessary... to prevent this terrible disaster." Tears actually filled his eyes, as he finished, "Your friend, Marty."

"Aw, poor Marty," murmured Doc, as tears rolled down his cheeks. "I sure feel sorry, now, for dismissing his concerns." Turning to his canine friend, he added, "I guess he really does care about me. Now I know why that video actually got to him, so much."

Doc carefully folded up the letter, as he placed it into his wallet. There's absolutely no way, now, that he'd actually be able to burn it. He just couldn't help but wonder what exactly he did, that would really make a group of terrorists decide to come after him.

"All in good time, Brown," Doc told himself. After all, he'd actually have thirty years to figure out what to. As for now, though, he decided that he'd better just make himself a quick breakfast. Perhaps, after school, he could head over to Holt's Diner. He really wished he could tell Marty that everything would be fine, and that he read the letter.

Then again, from Marty's perspective, he would return to 1985 - and simply find out, right away, that Doc was still alive. Marty likely would be quite overjoyed to see him, even though he would be quite confused. Doc would then give Marty a real big hug.

As Doc went to scramble up a few eggs, he wondered how exactly Marty would come into his life. That would actually be their first _official_ meeting. He wondered what Marty's first impression of him was. Did Marty like him right from the start, or did he...

Doc quickly shook the thought out of his mind. Even if Marty's initial impression of him rather was that of a crackpot scientist, that wasn't what mattered. What did matter, was that Marty would grow to care about him. The letter really proved it, as it rather showed how much Marty was willing to risk - simply to ensure that Doc wasn't killed.

Doc began to think of Marty's mention of how his father never before stood up to the bully, Biff Tannen. When Doc looked over the picture, everything really seemed to be fine. Doc still couldn't help thinking of how that would affect the course of the future.

Marty did mention about his home life being rather unhappy. Was that a part of what drew Doc and Marty together? If Marty really ended up with a happy family, this time around - would he be as willing to spend time with Doc? Would he even _like_ Doc?

Doc felt a pang of guilt, as he realized that he shouldn't be so self-centred. He should be rather happy for Marty, even if it could affect Marty's future relationship with him. Still, it wasn't only the fear of rejection from Marty that simply troubled him. If he and Marty never do become friends, it could also possibly result in a major time paradox!

Doc sighed to himself, as he poured the scrambled eggs into a skillet. He supposed he shouldn't assume the worst, as some of more judgemental townsfolks have done with him. Marty was a very friendly young man, and he deserved to be thought better of.

Marty said that he was seventeen years old. It meant that it would really be another thirteen years, until Marty was born. He simply wondered what Marty was like, as an infant. Still, after all is said and done, he knew that it was best to not push anything.

Doc pulled the letter back out, as he admired Marty's handwriting. This was something that Doc would treasure. Holding onto the letter would quite be like keeping a piece of Marty with him. That letter was the one thing that just proved, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Marty was there. It was an actual memento... a memento of the future!


	4. Saving Marty

_September 27, 1985  
2:45 AM PST_

Dr. Emmett Brown was pacing back and forth in his _very_ messy lab - as he was worried about his young friend, Marty McFly. Although he knew it was very important for Marty to ask Biff Tannen about the day that he received the almanac from his older self, he began to worry about Marty's life. Knowing how evil and corrupt Biff became in this particular timeline, he figured that Biff would not be above killing anybody who got in his way.

"Great Scott!" muttered Doc. "What will I do, if anything bad happens to Marty? I feel so bad about endangering his life, but the me of this timeline is committed. If I let anybody see me, I'll get locked up - and then we'll really be stuck here. What do I do, now."

Doc's dog, Einstein, began to whine. Doc walked over to his dog, and started to pet him. Doc felt so miserable that he felt like crying. He decided that he should head over to Biff's Pleasure Paradise, to see if Marty might be over there. He would even risk his life walking into the building, if that's what it took to save his young friend.

"Why don't you stay here, Einie," Doc told his dog, "and I'll start looking for Marty. It has been a little over an hour, now. I should be back here, soon."

Doc sighed heavily, as he prepared to leave the lab. His heart suddenly felt very heavy, as he began to worry about what might become of Einstein if he himself ended up being shot. It would be horrible for his four-legged pal to be abandoned in this horrible world. Doc then resolved that he would do whatever it took to make sure Marty was saved, that he himself didn't get hurt in the process, and that he would be able to go back in time to undo this mess.

As Doc made his way towards his DeLorean time machine, he realized that it would be a little better if he walked to Biff's Pleasure Paradise instead. After all, he should make an effort to remain as inconspicuous as possible. If he used the DeLorean, it might attract some unwanted attention. Doc sighed heavily to himself, as he walked off.

oooooooooo

As Doc walked closer to the dreaded building, he started to sweat from nervousness. He had not been this frightened ever since November 12 of 1955, as he was on the ledge of the clock tower, preparing to send Marty home. He thought of how ironic it was that Biff had decided to convert that courthouse into a hotel and casino. He had even replaced the clock that was in the clock tower, which Doc should not have been too surprised about.

As Doc approached the Courthouse Square, he began to feel dismayed by how crowded that place was. There were bikers all over the place, and loud heavy metal music was being played. This was a very far cry from the way that area was in the normal timeline.

"Watch where you're going, crazy drunk pedestrian," muttered a very familiar sounding voice.

"Oh, uh, sorry," muttered Doc, as he looked up and noticed that he was staring at Red.

Doc tried to act as casual as possible, as he started to walk around Biff's Pleasure Paradise. He was attentive, as he was hoping to see some sign of Marty. As soon as Doc walked towards the back of the building, he immediately saw that there a riot going on. Very cautiously, he made his way over to where the riot was taking place.

"What is his name?" asked a feminine voice, loudly. "Marvin? Marvin McFly?"

Doc's heart skipped a beat, as he realized that his young friend must somehow be involved in the major riot. He was feeling very apprehensive, as he made his way over to the crowd.

"Yeah, I believe that Biff's stepson," replied a masculine voice. "I guess he returned from Switzerland."

"It's such a shame!" wailed another feminine voice. "He's awfully cute! I wonder who shot him!"

"Great Scott!" Doc gasped, as he could barely believe what he heard. Did she just say that Marty McFly got shot?

"I wonder who shot him?" asked another femimine voice. "Maybe it was one of Biff's enemies who did that!"

_Or maybe it was the bastard himself!_ Doc thought, with fury. Suddenly, he shouted, "All right! Who don't all of you back up? I happen to know this young fellow, and I have to see what happened to him!"

It wasn't until the words were out of his mouth, that Doc realized how sharp he sounded. Everybody seemed so timid, as they back up by Doc's order. After Doc saw the lifeless body of his young friend lying on the ground, tears came to his eyes. He immediately knew what had to be done. He had to go back in time to save his friend's life.

"Uh, excuse me?" Doc asked, nervously. "Have any of you seen who it was that shot Marty, and where he was?"

"Uh, I dunno who shot him," replied a young woman who was wearing a leather jacket and leather pants. "All I really know was that he came falling from the roof of the building. I think he was thrown over the ledge."

"Uh, thank you, miss," replied Doc, quietly. "So when about did that happen? Do you remember?"

"Yeah, it said 2:55 on my watch," the young woman replied, "when I saw him falling from the roof."

"Thank you so much," Doc said, gratefully. "I think you told me everything I needed to know."

"Wait!" the young woman called out, as Doc turned to leave. "Aren't you going to take the body with you?"

"Uh, no," mumbled Doc, as he continued to walk away.

Doc tried to remain as calm as possible, as he began to walk back to his lab. He decided that he needed to grab his DeLorean time machine and travel back in time, now that he knew where Marty would be when Biff shot him. He figured that Biff tried to shoot Marty, after he asked about the almanac. He hoped and prayed with his might that Marty did manage to pry the information out of Biff. 


	5. Separated By Time

**Author's note: This fic is dedicated to Smudgie. This was originally a stand-alone entry, that I recently decided to fit in with this series of ficlets. This story details how Doc was feeling, after he sent Marty a letter through Western Union. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Back to the Future.**

_September 1, 1885  
5:00 PM PST_

After Dr. Emmett Brown stepped out from the Western Union office, his heart felt so heavy. As much as he loved living in the Old West, he also felt so sad about knowing that he'd never again see his young friend, Martin Seamus McFly. He'd miss Marty.

Granted, Marty - who was stranded in 1955 - could travel back to 1885 and get him, and bring them both back to 1985. However, in the letter he gave to Western Union just a few minutes ago, he gave Marty very explicit instruction to not go back to get him - but to just head right back to 1985. This was a very painful decision to make.

However, he knew that any further travel could disrupt the space-time continuum in quite drastic ways. Anyway, he sure felt more at home in this era - and he really did manage to make friends. He even become close to Seamus and Maggie McFly.

He thought of how Seamus reminded him of Marty. He had reddish-brown hair and a lot of facial hair. He was short, however - and he sure had the same slate-blue eyes as his future decendant. It really was strange, though, how Maggie quite resembled Marty's mother. He also thought their little son, William, was very adorable.

Doc began calculating how much longer he might live. He was 65-years-old at the time he unveiled the DeLorean time machine to his young friend. After he quite spent eight months adjusting to this era, though - he would be 66-years-old. However, as he was in the future, he decided to a rejuvination overhaul, which added thirty to forty years to his life. This meant he could possibly live to see his own birth in the year 1920.

He recalled how his family moved to Hill Valley in 1908. He would have to try hard to keep from disrupting history. He started to have second thoughts about whether or not he made the right decision. Even as a little boy, he dreamed of being a cowboy. After he was introduced to Jules Verne at eleven - his dreams began to change.

He thought of his young friend, again. Would Western Union actually hold onto that letter for seventy years? He even ended up bribing them fifty dollars in order to get them to agree to hold onto the letter for Marty. He thought about how Marty would feel about going back to 1985 without him. Poor Marty would probably be sad.

Tears suddenly came to Doc's eyes, as he suddenly remembered how upset Marty felt over the prospect of him being shot by those Libyan terrorists. The very impact of the shot knocked him out for nearly half an hour, which really led poor Marty to believe he was dead. He remembered how adamant he really was against letting Marty warm him about his impending fate. He was so oblivious to the distress his young friend felt.

Just then, another thought entered Doc's mind. He decided to tape up and read the letter the following day. Would Marty's sudden reappearance in 1955 rather change his younger self's mind over reading the letter? If his younger self might just change his mind against reading the letter, this really could result in a major time paradox!

"Hey, Mr. Brown," called out a familiar voice. No one in this time period quite know that had a doctorate. So he was always referred to as _mister_, as opposed to _doctor_. "It's me, Seamus McFly. "Would you like to eat out at Holt's Diner?"

"Uh, hello, Mr. McFly," Doc replied, as he took a close look at Seamus. He was just taken aback by how much Seamus reminded him of Marty. "Sure, we could eat out now. I was just, uh, having Western Union deliver a letter to a friend of mine."

"Ya know, I wish I could write to my old friends and relatives," Seamus replied, as he sighed wistfully. After a brief pause, he added, "I notice you look quite sad. Is there anything I could do, to be of help? Would it be about your friend, by any chance?"

"Uh, yeah, actually it is," Doc replied, as he blinked back tears. "He's actually a real good friend of mine. In fact, he was my closest friend. Well, uh, we've been rather close for many years. It actually makes me feel sad to know that I'll sure never see him again. As much as it hurt me to say it, I told him to not come and get me."

"He can visit you, though, can't he?" Seamus asked, as gently placed a hand on Doc's shoulder. "I understand that you've really come to consider this place your home, but I'm rather sure your friend would love to pay you a visit here one of these days."

Doc was quite silent. He could exactly explain to Seamus that he came here in a time machine, and that he didn't even belong in this era. He knew he'd have to be be real careful about he interacted with. It was hard to say good bye to his young friend.

"It's rather hard to explain to you," Doc replied, as the two of them stepped into the restaurant. "With Buford Tannen in town, I don't think it'd be very safe for him to be here. He was sure threatening me the other day. He asked me to shoe his horse the other day, and he never even paid me for my job. I don't think he even likes me."

"He doesn't like anyone, Mr. Brown," Seamus explained, as the two of them headed towards a booth. "I mean, he doesn't want me spending time at the saloon - and he makes fun of the hats that I like to wear. I wouldn't let that old bufoon rile you up."

"Well, I'm used to people not really liking me," Doc said, with a heavy sigh. "I mean, I was often thought of as being 'strange' by the rather uptight residents from the, uh, the town I came here from. It really hurts deeply to have other people not like you."

"I know the feeling," Seamus agreed. "I mean, me wife and I actually had to deal with people not liking us - simply because we were Irish. We sure never felt it was that fair to judge other people by something they have no control over. I mean, it's really how one treats other people that matter the most. That's why we don't care for Tannen."

"Mad Dog Tannen is such a monster," agreed the middle-aged plump waitress, as she walked up to the table. "Marshall Strickland really should arrest him already. Mad Dog Tannen even shot a newspaper editor last year, after he printed a real unfavourable story about him. He has such an ego. So what will you gentlemen be having today?"

"I could rather go for a nice serloin steak," Doc replied, "with some mashed potatoes and some green beans - and I'll have two dinner rolls on the side. I could sure go for root beer, as well." Doc preferred Pepsi, but the Pepsi company didn't exist yet.

"I'll have the same thing that Mr. Brown is having," Seamus added, "but just give me milk to drink. I can't say that I'm especially fond of carbonated drinks. I sure have to admit that I would like to see Mad Dog Tannen brought to justice. He's very evil."

"I concur," the waitress replied, nodding. "I can actually remember him, from when he was much younger. I was simply a little girl back then, and I was quite scared to go to school - because he'd always be there. He used to always harass my older sister. The teacher had a hard time keeping him under control. I'll go place in your orders, now."

"So I guess this rather goes way back to his youth," Doc commented, as the waitress headed back to the kitchen. "Anyway, about my friend, I sure don't think it'd be such a good idea for him to come here. Believe me, it hurts quite deeply to say good bye."

"Believe me, I rather know the feeling," Seamus replied, sympathetically. "One of the hardest decisions me wife and I had to make was to leave Ireland. The thing is, I just remember how Maggie's parents were very resistent about letting Maggie go."

"I'm sure they just loved her dearly," Doc replied, gently. "I was sure blessed to have supportive parents, even if my peers weren't always so supportive. It could be tough to be the smartest student in your school. It's so terrible how some people can't quite appreciate the virtue of being intelligent. It's not like I ever lorded it over anyone."

"I guess some people are just jealous," Seamus suggested. "What about after Buford is brought to justice? I'm sure your friend could then come visit you, then. I mean, it's not like he's from outside of the country - is he? You were able to send him a letter."

"Well, uh, actually he lives in Canada," Doc replied, nervously. "That is a rather long way from here, and I'd hate for him to travel far just to see me. It's sad that I could never see him again - and I sure could imagine that he'll really miss me, too. I'm sure he'll understand why things have to be this way. He has his own life there to live."

"I can't say I've been to Canada before," Seamus replied, nodding. "From what I've heard, though - it's sure a nice country up there. Maybe you could come over there and visit your friend. I'm quite sure you have friends there who miss you, as well."

"Not too many close friends," Doc commented, very quietly. "I mean, I did have a lot of friendly acquaintences - but I sure wasn't close to most of them. I really feel more at home here. You people here are great, and it's just nice having dinner with you."

As the waitress came back with the dinner rolls and beverages, Doc began to worry that his young friend might be stranded in 1955. He had no such memories of Marty returning to him, after sending him back home in 1955. He tried hard to put it out of his mind, as he figured his younger self would be successful in sending Marty back.


	6. A New Friend for George

**Author's note: This story takes place the day after George finally stood up to Biff. He talks a walk to Hill Valley Park, and makes a new friend in Sherman Peabody.**

_November 13, 1955  
11:00 AM PST_

It was a Sunday morning - and, after a thunderstorm that had lasted the whole night, the sun had finally come out. George McFly's attitude was almost as bright. As he was headed to Hill Valley Park, he thought of how much he really loved Lorraine Baines.

That was not the only thing he was happy about, even though she was quite a loving and precious girl. He was sure happy to have found some new courage. For quite the first time, he actually had the courage to stand up to Biff Tannen. He simply felt that, from now, things would be different. He would have the courage to live his own life.

Up until yesterday, he was a little too shy to even talk to Lorraine. She seemed to be nice enough, and she had even been known to say "hi" to him. Still, being as Lorraine was one of the more popular girls in school, he simply feared being rejected by her.

He suddenly felt a real pang of sadness, as he thought of Calvin Klein - who preferred to be called "Marty". He wondered if he would ever see that young man, again. It just made him feel empty, to think that the young man who helped him so much was gone.

He recalled the strange event that he witnessed, last night. After Mark Dixon had cut between him and Lorraine, he simply started to lose his courage. It was at that point, that young Marty seemed to fade away - as if his existence was simply dependent on George and Lorraine getting together. Of course, he could've just been hallucinating.

After he stepped into the park, George saw a young boy - who appeared to be about nine. As George really took a closer look, he noticed that the boy was reading a comic book - called Tales From Space. George really was intrigued, as he had always had an interest in aliens. George tried to overcome his shyness, as he walked up to the boy.

"Hey, buddy," George commented, using Marty's term of affection. As the boy looked up, he added, "Well, I see that you're so interested in aliens." The boy nodded, as he added, "That was always my interest, too. By the way, I'm George. George McFly."

"My name's Sherman," the boy commented, quietly. "I'm Sherman Peabody. I've been interested in aliens for a pretty long time. Hey, George, can I ask you a question?" As George just nodded, he asked, "Do you believe that aliens are, uh, _really_ real?"

"I _know_ that they're real," George replied, as he thought of his encounter with Darth Vader. "In fact, I just, uh..." George paused, as he didn't feel certain of if he should tell Sherman what had happened, lest the boy think he was actually crazy.

"I've seen an alien," Sherman explained. "It actually crashed right into our barn, last Saturday. Not yesterday, but the week before. It just knocked down our pine. I felt quite scared. My pa tried shooting at it, but it just got away. After he told the police about it, he got committed. I really was scared that there would be another attack."

George was stunned, as he tried to take in what the little boy told him. He pondered over whether Calvin Klein and Darth Vader were, in fact, the same. He seemed very harmless, in spite of the "brain melting" threat. After all, he could still remember that event from the dance. He simply wondered if anyone else had actually noticed it.

"I can understand why you would be real scared," George replied, gently. "He maybe really wasn't evil, though. He maybe was quite, uh, fightened. After all, I'm sure that this was a new world for him. I mean, other than crashing into your barn, did he..."

"You know," Sherman replied, softly, "I was doing some thinking about it. We maybe did act, uh, rashly. I was just thinking about racism, and how I never felt that it was actually right to treat anyone differently - just because the skin was a different..."

"I completely agree with you," George replied, as he thought of Goldie Wilson. "I sure never agreed with how Lou treated Goldie. I wanted to tell Lou just exactly how I felt - but, up until yesterday, confrontation was never my strong point. I believe it rather would be nice, if Goldie Wilson actually ended up as a mayor. He really deserves it."

"I think so, too," replied Sherman. "Anyway, my pa was placed in the mental hospital last week - after the police decided that he was delusional. It just took about a week for them to keep him there. He's really my grandpa. My parents died, when I was..."

"It sounds like a real bad place to be," George said, shaking his head. "From what I've heard, it quite sounds about as bad as being in jail - and they treat you like a criminal. It just sounds horrible. Even if your father was delusional, which I'm sure he's not, it's still... Well, people can't help it - if they have something wrong with them. They're..."

"I actually feel like it's partially my fault," Sherman commented, sighing. "I told Pa that he should even shoot it, because it morphed into human form. You know, some of the other children at school make fun of me - because I like aliens. However, I feel so..."

"I'm not especially popular at my school, either," George replied, ruefully. "I just have a couple of very close friends, and some acquaintances. In fact, up until yesterday, I was bullied around by Biff Tannen. Last night, though, I finally took a stand to him."

"I don't let anyone push me around," Sherman said, with confidence. "My true friends accept me for who I am. If other people don't like me, that's _their_ problem. I feel quite bad, though - because, well, maybe the alien wasn't necessarily evil. I do wish I could go back in time, and undo that day. What about you? The alien that you met?"

"His name was Darth Vader," George explained, nervously. "He simply came here from the planet Vulcan. At least, that's what he said. He quite threatened to melt my brain, if I didn't take this girl to the dance. The thing is, I've never felt that scared before!"

"He sounds so scary," Sherman replied, shuddering. "Why do you suppose it mattered to him quite so much? I mean, he shouldn't've threatened you. You should never have to date a girl that you can't stand. I feel that you should make your own decisions."

"Actually, I _do_ like the girl," George replied, quite nervously. "She just seemed to be nice enough, and she never really teased me... or made fun of me. There was this boy, though. His name was Marty Klein. At first, I thought he was quite so annoying - but, after a few days, I've grown very fond of him. He really seemed strange, but..."

"Do you think Marty Klein might be Darth Vader?" asked Sherman. George nodded, as the boy added, "I simply wouldn't doubt it. After he climbed out of that spaceship, he looked all yellow. After some time, he mutated into this brown-haired young man."

"It sounds so plausable," George said, nodding. "There's another thing. At this school dance, when Marty Klein was playing Earth Angel... Well, I really could swear that he was about to fade away. He started out playing erratically, and then it seemed..."

"That _is_ a little strange!" gasped Sherman. "So, you said that he seemed nice to you?" As George nodded, he added, "I'm not very sure what to make of him. You did mention that he threatened to melt your brain, and that's not quite nice of him. If he was just trying to, uh, preserve his existence... I suppose I'm intrigued and scared."

"He sure helped me to gain courage," George commented, softly. "Up until last week, I never let anyone read my stories. It turns out that my friends quite liked them. I might even write a novel, based on Darth Vader. I'll send my stories to Tales From Space."

"Hey, George," Sherman asked, as a smile spread across his face, "I really would like to read some of your stories. I only have one friend, who even understands me. It's pretty enjoyable, being able to talk to you. Would you like to be my friend, as well?"

"I would cartainly love that, Sherman," George replied, as he smiled warmly at his new friend. "It'll sure be nice to have a friend, who understands my interests. I was known as the weird kid, for about as long as I could just remember. I'm pretty glad that I met Marty Klein. He helped me to become a little more confident, and I really will miss hm."

"I sure feel so ashamed, now," Sherman commented, sadly. "I was this weird kid that loved aliens, but my actions certainly didn't show it. I mean, I was quite xenophobic - and I was eal foolish. What I did to him, was far worse than how Lou treats Goldie."

"Well, you feel ashamed of it," George commented, gently. "That is a very good sign, and it simply shows that you do have a desire to do the right thing. That is more than what we could say about... well, about some of the people that go to my school."

"Yeah, I can't imagine that the kids who make fun of me," Sherman replied, "feel any remorse about it. I mean, they do it pretty cheerfully - and they sure get their jollies from putting down the weird kid. This used to bother me so much, but I sure realized that there's no shame in being different. I sure don't want to be like everyone else."

As George simply smiled at his young friend, he thought of how he never considered changing who he was - just so that he could be more accepted. He only wanted it to be considered more acceptable to be free to pick your own interests and hobbies.

"Well, Ma just came here to pick me up," commented Sherman, as he stood up. "Why don't I give you my phone number, and you could just call me later?" He reached into his bag, as he pulled out a slip of paper. "It's simply been nice meeting you, George!"

George smiled and waved, as Sherman headed to his grandmother's Jeep. It felt very good to have finally overcome his shyness. He felt so lucky, and he just found himself expressing his gratitude to Calvin Martin Klein - wherever he was. Whether or not the young man was connected to Darth Vader, he felt that he owed everything to him.


	7. My Parents' First Date

**Author's note: After Marty is, once again, stuck in 1955 - he overhears what goes on at his parents-to-be first date.**

_November 13, 1955  
1:00 PM PST_

Everything seemed surreal to Marty McFly - as he and his scientist friend, Dr. Emmett Brown, stepped into Holt's Diner. He quite barely had a chance to become used to his new life, before Doc had just dragged him off into the future. He really felt resentful, as he wished he had a little more time to relax - before taking Jennifer up to the lake.

Due to a series of unfortunate events, the Doc of 1985 was now stuck in 1885 - while Marty was stuck in 1955, once again. In the letter that the Doc of 1985 had sent him, he had sure given Marty explicit instructions to not bother coming back to rescue him.

"You sure seem distraught, Marty," commented the Doc of 1955, as the two of them sat in a booth. "I know that you're upset, because you'd likely never see me again. I can't go against my older self's wishes, though. It really wouldn't be... it's not right."

"Yes, Doc, I understand," Marty replied, sighing. As tears filled his eyes, he added, "I really wish that I had never bought the almanac. Because of that, I'll never really see you again." As tears began to spill down Marty's cheeks, he continued, "I rather can't stand the idea of never seeing you, again. We've been friends for over ten years."

"I know, Marty," Doc replied, gently. "I know. I quite understand how hard this is for you. I taped up that letter that you wrote for me, and I'm sorry that I didn't listen to you." He quickly glanced to his right, before he whispered, "Your parents are here."

Marty swallowed, as he tried to stop crying. He really didn't want his parents to hear him, either - but for a different reason from what Doc was likely thinking. It sure was going to be interesting, if he could actually witness the dinner between his parents.

"This will be so romantic, George," Lorraine gushed, as they sat in a booth right behind Marty. "This is our first date, and I rather would like to hear more about your stories. I loved reading some of the stories that you've shown me. It was quite a horrible storm, but it was nice spending time with you. I think you do have a lot of potential, George."

"Thank you, honey," replied George, huskily. "Much of this was thanks to Marty Klein, though." Marty was beaming at George's words, as he continued, "I sure will miss this young lad. Anyway, I met a young boy at Hill Valley Park - and he's also into aliens."

"This morning?" asked Lorraine, as Marty was suddenly curious. "I'll admit that I never was that interested in the science fiction genre, but I'm pretty willing to check it out. I try to be open to new things. You know, George, you're a fun person to be around."

"Thank you," replied George. "Anyway, I had a real nice conversation with the young lad. His name's Sherman Peabody." Marty's heart actually skipped, just as he recalled the way he had first entered 1955. "He's about nine or ten, but we just have much in common. He even told me that most of the kids in school don't quite understand him."

"That isn't quite right," Lorraine replied, softly. "You know, I've seen you around - and I never quite thought that it was right, how some of the other kids would tease you... or push you around. I actually feel guilty, though - as I didn't think to speak to you."

"That's okay," George commented, softly. "We're together, now - and I quite thought that you seemed like a nice person. You'd occasionally say 'hi' to me, and I would clam up. I was always, uh, real shy around girls - unless they happened to be my cousins."

"I used to be shy around boys, too," commented Lorraine. "I suppose that's real hard for you to believe, as I'm known for being real boy crazy. That just wasn't always the case, though. Back when I was a freshman. I was so shy to be around them. Then, a year later, I met this very nice boy. His name was David Goodwyn, and I sure feel..."

"It really is a shame," George commented, sadly, "how he died of cancer. We weren't too close, but he sure was always nice to me. He just stood up to some of the people who picked on me... people like Mark Dixon. I wished that I could've been like him."

"Our relationship ended up not working out," explained Lorraine, "but we sure stayed being friends. I sure miss him, but I'm sure he's in a better place. Anyway, I feel very close to you - that I never even felt for Calvin Klein. Well, what about your stories?"

"I'll admit that a lot of them are just based on violent fantasies that I've had," George explained. "While I never had the courage to stand up to Biff, until last night - I really wrote of stories... stories about being the super-powered alien. Often, I'd quite base the antagonist on Biff... and I loved writing about Biff really getting his. I also just..."

"Hey, Marty," whispered Doc, as he leaned over. "It looks like your plan really worked - perhaps, even better than expected. George seems more like this rambunctious boy that I knew in my first year of teaching third grade. Do you know what you'd like?"

"I'll just have three BLT sandwiches," whispered Marty. "It's so weird, how my parents are sitting right behind me. I do have my new set of memories, so I quite know what it was like. I wish thaqt your older self had given me but time to relax, but I quite am..."

"You simply mustn't let your parents know that you're here," added Doc, continuing to whisper. "Any further interactions with them might really have major repurcussions on the future events of... You know, I really was concerned about how George punching Biff might affect the course of future history. It looks like it worked for the better."

Marty nodded, as he leaned back. George was still explaining to Lorraine about some of the stories that he wrote. While he felt rather guilty about eavesdropping on their conversation, he couldn't help but listen in. This was actually a big moment for them.

oooooooooo

About a half hour later, as Marty was drinking a strawberry shake, he continued to be intrigued with the way his that parents were bonding. He really learned a lot about his parents... things that he never knew about. He could hardly wait to return to 1985.

"It was such a reprieve," commented George, "to punch out two of the boys who had tormented me for so long. I'll admit that I'm quite afraid to return to school, tomorrow - but, if Biff dares ask me to do his homework for him... Well, I will kick him right in the ass! I simply feel like a new man, and I can say everything to Biff that I wanted to..."

"Now, you're talking," gushed Lorraine. "I'd hate to discourage you in any way, but I'd be careful not to get real cocky. I mean, you sure need the middle ground. You should let Biff know that you're not one to be pushed around, but you're not quite invincible."

"Yeah, I understand," George replied, softly. "I understand that all too well. Still, I've learned that he's just not as tough as he likes to think he is. You know how he always has to have his gang with him? You know why that is? He's a coward to fight alone!"

"You've got that right," agreed Lorraine. "He's sure been harassing me for quite a long time, as well. I mean, it's real different... different from the way he's harassed you. If it hadn't been for you... Well, I might've lost my virginity! I know what you're thinking. I'm still a virgin? Well, I might've been boy crazy - but, the thing is, I still have morals."

"I never doubted that," George replied, gently. "I never had a girlfriend, so this is just a new experience for me. I was just about to resolve myself to a life of loneliness, but Marty Klein came into my life. I never thought that I would become attached to him."

"I miss him, too," replied Lorraine. "I know I really fell for him, and I did come on quite too strongly. For some strange reason, though - kissing him was a little like kissing my brother. I know it doesn't make a whole lotta sense, but you're the one that I want."

"You know, he simply might've been an alien," suggested George, which caused Marty to nearly jump. "I'll tell you about my theories later. I don't want you to just think that I'm strange, or anything like that. He maybe was just a normal young boy, but I really never met anyone like him. Some of his mannerisms seemed strange, but he really..."

"Well, he did play some very interesting music," commented Lorraine. "I actually don't think it was quite that bad, but it was just something that I never heard of. I like rock and roll, and it's something that my parents really will never understand. Still, well..."

"Should we get out of here?" suggested George. "This place really serves good food, and it quite is a quiet place. Well, why don't we just head over to Hill Valley Park?" As the voices began to fade, he continued, "I should speak more to my father about..."

"They're on their way out," Doc whispered. "I feel a little bad that I wasn't able to talk to you, but we simply couldn't let them hear us." In a normal tone, he continued, "You just spent this whole last week, trying to get your parents to fall in love. I really didn't expect for you to come back here. I mean, I'm happy to see you again - but I sure..."

"I would just prefer to be home in 1985," Marty explained. "The thing is, I didn't have my headset with me - so I just can't listen to my rock and roll. I mean, to my '80s rock and roll - which is... Well, it's a little harder than the stuff that we have in the '50s."

"Yeah, I remember hearing some of your music," Doc replied. "I thought it was just so noisy for me. Well, maybe I might learn to get used to the music. I suppose we'd sure could... Well, we should maybe just start... start heading over to the Del Gato mine."

Marty smiled slightly, as the two of them began to leave the restaurant. In a way, he actually wished that he could've spoken with his parents. Still, he quite decided that it wasn't worth the risk. Anyway, it felt so nice to hear that the two of them were much in love. It was a great sign - and he hoped that he'd be able to return to 1985, soon.


	8. Letter of Crisis

**Author's Note: On a Sunday afternoon, after returning from lunch with Marty - Doc finds the scraps of the letter that Marty wrote to him. This story takes place in the Gravestone and Eastwood Timelines. This would apply to the Trilogy Universe, Haven Universe, and Gravestone Universe (Doc's side only).  
**

_November 13, 1955  
3:00 PM PST_

"I can hardly believe it!" exclaimed Marty McFly, as he and Dr. Emmett Brown stepped into the mansion. "We eat at Holt's Diner, and my parents happen to swing by. I quite feel as if... Well, I couldn't exactly bring myself to disrupt their first date. It sure feels surreal. I mean, it's actually not everyday that one witnesses his parents first date!"

"Well, I'm glad that they didn't spot us," replied Doc. "It could've conceivably resulted in a time paradox. Granted, they did seem to be so much in love - so the possibility of your existence being endangered would be minimal. Still, we just wouldn't want to..."

"... take any chances," Marty finished, smiling. "Yeah, Doc, I quite understand. After having kissed me, though, I think my mom finally realized that I simply wasn't the guy for her. Anyway, yeah, this was a special moment for them. I didn't want to ruin it."

"Well, Marty," Doc commented, as he placed his arm around the teen, "I simply must admit, it's great that you're back - even though I understand that the circumstances of your situation wasn't exactly the most optimal. I do quite wonder what I would've done, had you not returned. Well, for starters, I actually wouldn't've passed out."

"No, I'm pretty sure that you wouldn't've," Marty replied, softly. "Well, I suppose your older self doesn't want me to go back - and get him. Y'know, it'll quite be awfully lonely - not having you around. In fact, I really have half a mind to just stay here - in 1955."

"No, Marty, you can't," Doc protested, gently. "The more you stay in this time period, the more you could actually risk disrupting the course of future events - and perhaps, once again, endanger your own existence. I know that you'll miss me, Marty - but..."

"Yeah, Doc, I understand," Marty replied, sighing. "I guess I'll still have my family, my other friends, and Jennifer. Still, I rather just can't imagine... no longer having you in my life. By the way, Doc, I now actually remember two versions of my past. I guess I shouldn't let you know about the new timeline, though. Still, you're the one who..."

"... gave you support, right?" Doc asked, softly. "Well, Marty, I'm not sure of what to tell you. All I can say, Marty, is that you'll just have to move on. After all, it's not as if you don't have other people in your life. I'm sure that my older self does miss you."

"It'll still be sad, though," Marty insisted, as tears filled his eyes. "Tomorrow, after you get off of work, I guess that's when we'll be heading off to the Del Gato Mine. I rather feel nervous about all this. I mean, what if someone actually did touch the DeLorean?"

"Just try not to worry, Marty," suggested Doc. "Perhaps, tonight, we could also plan on eating out. We should look for a place, though, that's a little outside of Hill Valley. This way, the real possibility of encountering your parents... or Biff Tannen... will be minimal. Let's see how much money I have, first. I'll quite need to save up, after all."

"That sounds so wonderful, Doc," Marty replied, excitedly. "In all honesty, I wouldn't actually want to stay in 1955. I'd miss my hard rock, and everything else that I really love about the 1980s. That being said, life without you wouldn't quite be the same."

"I understand, Marty," Doc commented, as he put his wallet away. "Let's just see if I have any loose change in my coat pockets." As Doc reached into the one of the coat pockets, he added, "I feel some paper scraps in there. I wonder where that's from."

As Doc pulled the scraps out, Marty's memory was suddenly jolted. He wondered if it could be the letter that he wrote Doc... about the terrorists! With many other things on his mind, he'd just about all but forgotton about _that_ concern. His heart sure was racing - as, this time around, he'd have to _really_ be persistent about that!

"I believe that this is the letter you wrote to me, Marty," Doc commented, as he voice was extremely calm. "I just don't understand what it's doing here. I was certain that I scattered these scraps into the four winds. Here, why don't you take these - or..."

"Doc, you _really_ have to read it!" Marty insisted, as tears came to his eyes. "Not only will your life be in grave danger, but it could also create a time paradox. I'm sure not meaning to be an annoying pest. Doc, it's _urgent_ that you tape it together!"

Doc only stared at Marty, blankly. Marty couldn't exactly make out what the scientist was thinking. Was he simply angry with Marty? Did he feel that Marty was just out of line, by pressuring him to do something that he was strongly against. Tears began to roll down Marty's cheeks, as he couldn't bear the thought of Doc being shot, again.

"That letter simply means a lot to you, doesn't it?" Doc asked, quietly. Marty nodded, as his lips began to tremble. "It is rather true, Marty, that my life would actually be in grave danger - if I don't read it? I honestly didn't mean to make you feel that upset."

"You'll really be killed, Doc," Marty sobbed, as he threw his arms around his friend, "if you don't read the letter. With you being stuck in the Old West, I'll really miss you. It would be even worse, though, to have you be killed. I sure care a lot for you, Doc."

"I guess you _are_ right, then," Doc replied, after a brief pause. "In fact, if I don't read it, it sure could result in a major time paradox. Besides, I certainly don't wish for you to be that upset. Well, then, let me go grab some tape. I do feel bad, Marty, for not listening to you. I assume this means that, uh, the other me decided to read it."

"That's simply right, Doc," Marty replied, swallowing. Wiping his eyes, he added, "You even really had the letter right on you, when I found you at the mall. By the way, if I ask what made you change your mind, just tell me that you figured... What the hell?"

"That I'll do," Doc replied, as he placed the tape dispenser on the table. "Yeah, I can't quite well let your younger self know that you returned to 1955 - as it could be rather confusing. Well, if you don't mind, I'd actually like your help in taping this together."

"Hey, no problem," Marty replied, as he flashed his friend a lopsided smile. "In fact, I'd be happy to help. Well, at any rate, I've simply come to warm up to this decade. I just think that, uh, this decade is somewhat interesting. I still wouldn't want to live here. It certainly would be far preferable, though, to the awful 1985 that we just came from."

"Yeah, that place sounded horrible," agreed Doc. "The idea of having to spend even a minute in that world sounds quite horrid. Well, I guess it _will_ become an inevitable part of my future. I feel sorry for my counterpart, who has to _live_ in that world."

"I simply feel sorry for my counterpart, too," Marty replied, sighing. "I mean, with Dad dying young - and really having Biff for a stepfather." Surveying the letter, he added, "It's almost finished, Doc! With both of us working together, it'll be a piece of cake."

"I'm just not sure of what I'll do with all your clothes," Doc commented, softly. "They'd serve no real practical use to me. I suppose I should give them to a thrift shop. I very much will miss you, Marty. I'm not too sure if I could bear to part with anything... that reminds me of you. As I've said before, you've quite made a big difference in my life."

"That's very sweet, Doc," Marty replied, softly. "Well, I really should try to be happy for you. I mean, you did mention that you'd enjoy life in the Old West. It's just going to be quite hard, though, to let you go. I would want for you to be happy, though."

"I do understand, Marty," replied Doc. "You're almost an adult, though - and I'm very sure that, within time, you'll be busy with living out your life's dreams. You mentioned becoming a musician. Well, Marty, we're all finished." Doc lifted up the letter, smiling.

"Dear Dr. Brown," Doc began reading. "On the night I go back in time, you will be shot by terrorists at 1:30 AM." Rather gently, Doc reached for Marty's hands. "Please take whatever precautions are necessary... to prevent this terrible disaster." Marty felt so relieved - as he managed to overcome, yet, another obstacle. "Your friend, Marty."

Doc walked over to Marty, as he drew the teen close. Tears filled Marty's eyes, as he was reminded of just how close he was to Doc. While he knew that Doc would survive the Libyans' attacks - he realized that, by 1985, Doc still would no longer be around.

"I'm sure glad that you were persistent, Marty," Doc explained, softly. "I'm sorry that I didn't let you tell me, last week. I can now understand just why you were acting the way you did, as I was preparing to send you home. Do you think you'll forgive me?"

"Of course, Doc," Marty replied, swallowing. "Mostly, I'm very happy that you'll still be alive. However, for all intents and purposes, you'll still just be dead. I doubt that your older self would still be alive by 1985... or even here in 1955. I really don't know what to tell everyone. I promise to take good care of your dog, though. He's a great pet."

"Speaking of dogs," Doc commented, as he glanced to the side, "I think Copernicus is actually getting hungry. I guess I'd better go feed him. One of these days, I'd simply like to invent something... that would automatically feed him. How does that sound?"

"That sure sounds great, Doc," Marty replied, even as he suddenly remembered the overflowing dog food dish in Doc's garage. It really seemed like a long time, since he last saw that version of the garage. "Well, I'm real happy that you read the letter."

"I am, too," Doc agreed, as the two headed for the kitchen. "I suppose you could call it the letter of crisis. In fact, it's a letter of crisis - in more than one way. When I take off for work, tomorrow morning - you really should stay at the mansion. There's quite no more reason for you to be at school. Well, let's make tonight be a special night."


	9. All In The Family

**Author's Note: This story is written in response to September's Challenge of last year. Marty spends an evening bonding with Seamus and Maggie McFly.**

_September 3, 1885  
9:00 AM PST_

Marty McFly was staying with his great-great-grandparents, Seamus and Maggie McFly, on their farm. Marty had assumed the identity of Clint Eastwood, as revealing his real name to the townsfolk could seriously affect the future - and possibly create a paradox. While Marty wasn't too fond of this era, he has become rather fond of his ancestors. Seamus even looked a little like Marty, except that he had reddish-brown hair. Seamus had found Marty, after Marty had crashed into the fence surrounding the McFlys' farm - as Marty was running away from some Indians and a bear.

"Do you like pancakes, Mr. Eastwood?" asked Seamus, as he was mixing up the pancake batter.

"Oh, I love pancakes!" Marty exclaimed. He disliked the meal that was being served yesterday, but he figured that pancakes wouldn't taste much different. Marty figured that, as long as he stayed away from meat, most anything else would be edible.

"Do you like raspberry cordial, Mr. Eastwood?" asked Maggie.

"Well, I've never had it before," replied Marty, "but I'll try some. I am a bit thirsty."

Maggie than poured a large glassful of raspberry cordial for Marty. Marty lifted the glass to his lips, and took a little sip. He thought it tasted pretty good.

"Thank you," Marty said, smiling. "This is very good cordial."

"Do you know how to play checkers, Mr. Eastwood?" asked Seamus.

"Yeah, I think I do," Marty said, with some uncertainty. He wasn't sure if the game would be played any differently back in 1885.

"Would you like to play checkers with me?" asked Seamus. Then, turning to Maggie, he added, "Can you put some music on the gramophone, please? We could use some music in here. Do you like music, Mr. Eastwood?"

"Oh, I love music!" gushed Marty. Even though Marty's primary interest was in rock and roll music, he was able to appreciate other kinds of music. The music that came over the gramophone wasn't half bad, Marty thought. He did miss his rock and roll music, though.

Seamus then went to grab to checker board, and set up the pieces on the table. Then he went to pour some lemon drops into a bowl.

"Do you like lemon drops, Mr. Eastwood?" asked Seamus. "Do you mind being red?"

"Oh, I love lemon drops," Marty gushed. "Red is fine with me. I'm not real fussy."

"Just when it comes to food?" Seamus teased.

"I just don't care for meat all that much," Marty said, which was partially true.

"But meat is good for you," insisted Seamus. "A man needs meat in order to be strong."

Marty just rolled his eyes. He never understood why so many people equated eating meat with masculinity - like men who didn't care for meat were somehow considered to be less masculine. Then, again, Marty felt that gender roles were highly overrated. Marty never really cared much for sports, as music was more his passion. Marty also loved baking, which was often considered a female's activity.

Also, while Marty never felt comfortable with crying in public, he felt that crying was a good emotional release, and that men should not be shamed for crying. Marty felt that one of the causes for violent outbursts, which often lead to domestic abuse of women, was the way that men were encouraged to lash out in anger instead of having a good cry. Marty glanced over at Seamus, and smiled. He couldn't fathom Seamus ever resorting to violence. Seamus was a very soft-spoken fellow. Men could be tough and strong without being violent, couldn't they?

"Are you fine, Mr. Eastwood?" Seamus asked, gently. "You seem to be real deep in thought. What's on your mind, if I might ask?"

"I guess I was just thinking about gender roles," explained Marty, "and how they are a bit overrated. I mean, I don't understand why should people be limited in how they express themselves, according to gender. Why can't people just follow their hearts, and be who they are, without being judged by other people for it?"

"You know, Mr. Eastwood," Seamus said, smiling, "I completely agree with you. First of all, I don't reckon that it's right that women can't vote. I mean, women are people, too - and they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect."

"Right, I certainly can't argue that," replied Marty. "I certainly can't deny that women do get the shaft in many ways, in this day and age. However, in other ways, we men are also repressed. I mean, it's considered unmanly to cry, for instance."

"You certainly do make a valid point, Mr. Eastwood," Seamus agreed. "I do cry some of the time, and I make no apologies for it. I sometimes feel ashamed of my gender, because some of us act out in violent ways. It is a great shame that men who prefer peace over strife get condemned as being sissy-boys. However, I make it a point to just stick by my principles, and not give a toss of what other people think. I swear that we, as a society, can be awfully judgemental of other people."

"I must say, Mr. Eastwood," added Maggie, "you certainly do speak words of wisdom. I must admit that, when I first saw you yesterday, I thought that you were a little bit strange. I now heartily apologize, though, for judging you. Some of your mannerism might seem a little unusual to us, but it does not mean you're a bad person. Will you forgive me?'

"Of course, Mrs. McFly," Marty said, smiling.

"So are the two of you hungry?" Maggie asked. "The pancakes are just about ready."

"Yeah, I'm feeling pretty famished," replied Marty. "Thank you for taking me in."

"You are very welcome," replied Maggie. "So where did you meet your blacksmith friend? Within the last eight months that we've know him, he was a great person."

"Well, I am a little worried about him," Marty said, sighing. "You see, I'm here to prevent him from being shot by Buford Tannen next Monday."

"How do you know he'll be shot on Monday?" Maggie asked, confused.

"I, uh, I received a vision from God," explained Marty. "It is my sacred duty to do everything I can do to save my friend's life."

"You certainly are a very special young man, Mr. Eastwood," Maggie said, smiling. "It's been a real pleasure to meet you. So how long do you plan to stay in town?"

"You know, I think God placed you in our path for a very special reason," added Seamus. "So, Mr. Eastwood, how long will you be around.'

"Uh, well," stammered Marty, "I'm hoping that we'll to be able to leave before next Monday. We have to, uh, head back home to San Francisco."

"Well, we will certainly miss you when you go," Seamus said, softly. "I reckon even William really enjoys your presence. I mean, he usually doesn't take to strangers to well."

"Yeah, he's a very precious little baby," gushed Marty. "I bet he will grow up to be a very fine young man."

"Now, let's have some pancakes and maple syrup, shall we?" Maggie asked, smiling.

"Oh, absolutely!" replied Marty, with a smile.

"I'm so hungry, I could eat a horse," remarked Seamus.

"Would you like some more cordial, Mr. Eastwood?" asked Maggie.

"Oh, yes, please," Marty said, smiling at Maggie.

Then Maggie sat down at the table with Seamus and Marty - and all three of them piled their plates high with pancakes. Marty smiled warmly at his ancestors.


	10. A Second Chance

**Author's Note: This story is written in response to this month's Challenge. Clara and Doc give their relationship another chance, after Marty returns to 1985.**

_September 7, 1885  
8:30 AM PST_

Doc was stunned, as he watched Marty disappear to 1985 in the DeLorean and the train fall over the ravine. Doc then did his best to float the hoverboard that Marty sent to him and Clara backwards, until the two of them were a about a third of a mile away from the ravine. Clara was hanging onto him him tightly, as if she was scared for her life.

'I am terribly sorry that I slapped you, Emmett,' Clara said, blushing. 'I can now see that you were telling me the truth. I really will miss Clint Eastwood, even if I had barely known him. So is that young man a relative of yours, or something? The two of you seemed very close. He even did seem a little jealous of us, come to think of it.'

'No, not really,' replied Doc, sighing. 'We just happen to be very close friends. He is also a descendant of Seamus and Maggie McFly - and his real name is Martin McFly, even though everyone calls him Marty. I think it's really not so much that he was jealous of us, but he was anxious for us to return to 1985.'

'So now that Marty has taken the time machine back to the future,' Clara said, slowly, 'you are now trapped here in the past. Now I really feel bad for not having believed you yesterday.'

'Being trapped isn't always a bad thing,' Doc said, softly. 'I mean, I do have you again. Some people might say I'm crazy, but I've always wanted to visit this era. Maybe you and I could both start a new life here together. I shall really miss Marty a lot, though. Gee, I sure wonder how he's going to cope without me. Then there is also Einstein, who is my dog back in 1985. Albert Einstein will become one of the great scientists in the future.'

'So tell me, Emmett,' Clara said, coyly, 'what is the future like? I mean, how is the future different from now?'

'Oh, goodness,' Doc replied, 'I'm not ever sure what to began telling you. It will be like something nobody in this era could really imagine. Not even Jules Verne could predict the future as it actually turned out.'

The look was back on her face, as Clara quietly said, 'You know, Emmett, you should have just taken me back to 1985 with you. I have always dreamed of visiting faraway and unusual places. You really should've just told me about the time machine.'

'I just didn't think it would be right,' Doc said, quietly, 'because you don't really belong in this era. Although, come to think of it...' Doc was unsure of what to say next. After all, how was he supposed to explain to Clara that she was supposed to fall into that ravine and die? He then remembered that, last night, Marty did suggest that they could take Clara back to 1985 - and Doc had rejected the idea. He just said that he did caution Marty about causing a disruption of the continuum for his own personal benefit - therefore, Doc himself should do no less. At the time, he didn't even realize that it would be safer for the continuum to bring Clara back to 1985 with him.

'Are you feeling all right, Emmett?' Clara asked, with concern. 'You have this worried look on your face.'

'I'm trying to think of how to tell you this,' Doc said, quietly. 'Remember how I had saved you from the ravine?'

'Yeah, you really did save my life,' Clara gushed. 'I could have fallen over, if you weren't there to save me.'Just then, a shock of horror spread across her face. 'I guess that actually is what happened to me, before you went back in time. Good grief! I can't believe it. Say, you're not going to throw me back over, are you?'

'Oh, goodness, no!' gasped Doc, horrified. 'Please don't even suggest such a horrible thing! I guess, what I really meant to say was, Marty did suggest that I bring you back to 1985 with us - and I should have listened to him. Then when I went to say good bye to you, you even begged me to take you with me. How could I have been so dense?'

'I'm sure you were just meaning to do the right thing,' Clara said, reassuringly. 'I guess we no longer have a time machine to go back to 1985. Maybe we could leave Hill Valley, if that would be safer for the continuum.'

'Well, we could do that,' Doc said, quietly, 'but maybe I could start working on another time machine. I would have to think of what to build it from, though - and how to generate 1.21 gigawatts of electricity.'

'What on earth is a gigawatt?' Clara asked, with confusion.

'It's a measurement of electricity,' Doc explained. 'Unfortunately, the only power source in this era that would be capable of generating 1.21 gigawatts of electricity is a bolt of lightning. You never know when or where it is ever gonna strike. Except for the time Marty came back to 1955, and he had that flyer mentioning the precise time that a bolt of lightning would strike the clock tower.'

'You mean the same clock tower that the festival was held at the other day?' Clara asked, stunned.

'Yeah, it would be that one,' replied Doc. 'It's so amazing, isn't it? It's almost like that clock tower inherently contains some sort of cosmic significance. Almost like it's the junction point for the entire space-time continuum. On the other hand, it could just be an amazing coincidence.'

'Oh, Emmett, you have got to be joshing me,' Clara said, laughing.

'I'm not lying, you know,' Doc replied, stunned. 'It seems like, in every time period we visited, something happens to the clock tower that is of great significance.'

'So how did you power the time machine?' asked Clara. 'It obviously wasn't always a bolt of lightning.'

'Well, I had attached a Mr. Fusion generator onto the time machine that just sent Marty back,' explained Doc. 'That was a device that was invented in the early 21st century. Before that, it required plutonium. I am certain it would be next to impossible to obtain plutonium in this era.'

'I don't even know what plutonium is,' Clara said, puzzled. 'Well, perhaps you will think of something. It would be very interesting to see what this 1985 is like. So you'll take me back, even after I slapped you last night?'

'Nobody is perfect, honey,' Doc said, softly. 'Anyway, it was partially my fault, too. I should have listened to my young friend when he suggested bringing you back. He usually has difficulty thinking fourth dimensionally - but, in this case, what he suggested was right on. I wish I had realized that right away.'

'I never wanted to believe that you would lie to me just to take advantage of me,' Clara said, quietly, 'and I even cried myself to sleep last night. Still, I couldn't figure out why you would tell me such an unbelievable story like that - and expect me to believe it. I should've known you weren't that kind of man.'

'Please don't fret anymore, honey,' Doc whispered, as he wrapped his arms around Clara. 'I love you so much, and we should maybe have our wedding soon. You really are one in a googolplex.'

'I'm not sure what a googolplex is,' Clara said, coyly, 'but thank you! I really love you a lot, too.'

Doc and Clara sat on the ground, while they cuddled and kissed for awhile. Doc then looked up towards the sky. The light streaked across the sky, leaving a trail in its wake. For a minute, Doc thought that maybe Marty found a way to return from the future to get the two of them. Then he realized it was just a shooting star.


	11. The Real Me

**Author's note: Shortly after returning from 1885, Marty fills Jennifer in on his time travel adventues.**

_October 27, 1985  
1:30 PM PST_

Marty swallowed deeply, as he and Jennifer stepped into Francesca's Italian Diner. It felt so great to be back home, even though he still found himself missing Doc. Still, he would try to think positively. His family was certainly more successful, and he actually took a stand against Douglas Needles. The best thing he could do, is look forward.

"Table for two?" asked a middle-aged woman, as she walked up to the couple. Marty nodded, as she added,"You guys really come here a lot! Whoa, Marty, looks like you came as a cowboy! Would you like to have the all you can eat stuffed shells meal?"

"You've got it," Marty replied, as he flashed the waitress a lopsided smile. To Jennifer, he added, "It's really a shame that we missed that trip to the lake, Jennifer. I mean, it was something that we've been planning for two weeks. I really feel so bad about it."

"It bothers me, too," Jennifer agreed, sighing . "So, anyway, Doc really had built a time machine?" As Marty nodded, she continued, "You know, I'm just not very sure that I ever want to take another time travel trip. I mean, I can't quite began to tell you how scared I was. I had no idea what was going on, and I was so confused."

"I'm so sorry, Jenn," Marty replied, softly. "I just had no idea that Doc would drag us through all this. I quite wish he had given me more time to relax." With a wistful sigh, he added, "Well, you really don't have to worry about it! Doc's never coming back."

"Really?" Jennifer asked, shocked. "Oh, Marty, I'm so sorry!" She gently took Marty's hands into hers, as she added, "Say, Marty, why don't you simply tell me about what happened? I mean, when did you find out that Doc had a time machine - and how..."

"It was early yesterday morning," explained Marty. "The thing is, he needed me to be there - so that I could videorecord the experiment. Unfortunately, he did make a deal with Libyan terrorists - as he needed some plutonium for the time machine. After they found out that they were ripped-off, they came after Doc. It was when I ended..."

"I'm not sure what to make of this," Jennifer commented, as she shook her head. "It's quite too risky, what he did. I know that obtaining plutonium is not such an easy task, but I'm sure he could've... Ah, well, never mind. What happened after that, Marty?"

"Well, it was the time that I ended up back in 1955," replied Marty. "I crashed into the Peabody's farm, and it sure was scary. I ended up disrupting my parents first meeting - and, well, it was just the hardest week of my life. I had to fix things, and get my..."

"I can imagine how scary that must've been," Jennifer replied, sympathetically. "I am very interested in time travel stories, and they are so interesting to read about. Still, I'm not very sure I would like that to become reality. So, anyway, what did you have to do - in order to get your parents together? I imagine it would be no easy task!"

"It most certainly wasn't," Marty replied, gimacing. "The thing, my father was quite a different person. In fact, in the timeline that I came from, he was also real different. To make a long story short, I actually had to take my mother to the dance - and..."

"Wait a minute!" cried out Jennifer, as her expression turned to anger. "You cheated on me, with your own mother!" As tears came to Marty's eyes, she continued, "I just don't understand you, Marty! How can you do this to me? I thought I could trust..."

"You think I _wanted_ to do this, Jennifer?" Marty protested, very defensively. As he noticed that some of the other customers were staring at them, he quietly added, "I had to do this, Jenn - or else I would..." Beginning to cry, Marty continued, "I very much dreaded it, Jenn - but this was honestly a set-up, for my father to come..."

"I'm very sorry, Marty," Jennifer replied, softly. "I guess I shouldn't've just jumped to conclusions. Now that I think if it, you know your father's first novel? I thought of the part where Kosh Conad hits on Laura Bates, hoping to make Jordan McCoy come..."

"Yes! Yes!" Marty commented, as he remembered how his father would often tell him of the inspiration behind A Match Made In Space. "At one point, I actually decided to dress up in a radiation suit - and I pretended to be an alien. I scared my father..."

"I'm very sorry that I ever doubted you, Marty," Jennifer apologized, softly. "I guess it was silly for me be jealous of your mother, eh?" As Marty smiled faintly, she added, "I did quite wonder about your father's inspiration behind the novel. It's very strange that you actually were the very inspiration behind it, and that it wasn't a real alien!"

"It's so strange, Jenn," Marty whispered. "I do remember my past both ways. In the current timeline, I sure grew up hearing about Calvin Klein - and being very intrigued by that individual. Of course, now that I know that Calvin Klein was actually me..."

"Think of how weirded out _I_ must feel," Jennifer commented, laughing. "Anyway, what was the old timeline like? In what ways was it different? I would quite guess that you and I were still dating. After you, I do remember how happy you were - about..."

"That I can most definitely assure you of," Marty replied, laughing. "I actually think it's a good sign that, well, that you and I destined to be together. Say, when you were in the future, what all did you find out..." He stopped short, as the waitress brought the food over. "Thanks you very much, miss." To Jennifer, he added, "I'm pretty hungry!"

"Yeah, this really is good stuff," Jennifer agreed. As her voice sobered, she added, "I don't know how to tell you this, Marty. We actually get married in the Chaple O' Love, and it's the the beginning of our... Let's just say that our lives turns our to be bad."

"No kidding?" Marty asked, horrified. "I mean, you simply did mention something about me being fired - and I know that our son turned out to be a wimp. I guess this actually means that I never, uh, became... or will become... a rock star. I feel quite horrible!"

"I have a feeling that not all is quite lost, though," Jennifer said, soothing. "You know how Needles had dared you to race him? Had you taken him up on his offer, you sure would've injured yourself. As you sure managed to avert all that..." Jennifer reached into his pants pocket, she pulled out a sheet of paper. "This paper came from the..."

"... future?" Marty asked, as he surveyed the paper. "It's all blank, though. It doesn't even say anything. What is it that you're trying to show me, Jenn? What could be the significance of this, uh, piece of paper? Is there just something that I'm, uh, missing?"

"Actually, Marty," Jennifer said, quietly, "this used to say 'you're fired'. You somehow ended up working for Needles - and he dared you to, uh, do something illegal. I really didn't catch the specifics. Maybe, by choosing not to race Needles, you actually..."

"Well, maybe there is some hope," Marty said, quietly. "I still don't get why the paper is blank, though. I mean, shouldn't it say something else - something about what our, uh, new future would actually hold? Something like, uh, 'Congratulations on your new album'? It's too bad that Doc isn't coming back. He was such a big part of my life."

"Aw, I'm real sorry," Jennifer replied, softly. "So where is Doc, anyway? Are you sure that there's no quite possible way for Doc to come back. Otherwise, maybe you could go back in time, and rescue him. How did you end up coming back here, anyway?"

"I'm so afraid the time machine is out of commision," Marty replied, sadly. "In fact, it's completely destroyed. To make a long story short, we really had to go back to 1955 - to get a book back from Biff. Doc ended up stranded by in 1885. I went to rescue..."

"Wow! 1885?" Jennifer gasped, stunned. "That's exactly a century ago! I suppose it would be so hard for Doc to build a new time machine, seeing as how the technology wasn't anywhere near as advanced as... I certainly can't imagine living back then. It would be so... Well, I would certainly miss the comforts of today. It would be so..."

"I sure missed listening to rock music," Marty commented, sighing. "I didn't even have my headset with me, this time. It also really feels great to just go back to eating 20th Century food. Some of the food that I ate in 1885 was actually pretty good, but I..."

"You look so good, though," Jennifer pointed out, "wearing that cowboy outfit. I think you should wear this for Halloween. After all, you do look just a lot like Clint Eastwood - and it's quite sexy on you. I bet, even in five years, you'll look incredibly sexy in it!"

"Oh, Jenn," replied Marty, blushing. "The thing is, even if there was a way for Doc to build a new time machine - I don't think he would want to. After all, he rather insisted that the time machine should be destroyed. Anyway, now that he's sure got Clara - I guess he'd rather stay in the past. Of couse, he could always bring Clara to 1985..."

"I'm sure that would be a huge adjustment for her, though," suggested Jennifer. "So, anyway, how were things different? I'm pretty glad that you and I were still a couple, but what about your family... and your friends? It sounds like a lot must've changed."

"Well, let's just say that my family life really wasn't as successful," replied Marty. "Dad was still bullied around by Biff Tannen, and Mom was a huge alcoholic. Linda was quite insecure, and Dave worked at Burger King. It's amazing that I didn't change much."

"That looks like a huge change!" gasped Jennifer, as she was impressed. "You should be so proud of yourself, Marty. You sure did a lot, in order to influence your family. I believe it's quite best to look forward. I know you simply miss Doc a lot, but just think of what he always says. If you put your mind to it - you can accomplish anything."


	12. Futuristic Wonders

**Author's Note: This story is written in response to this month's Challenge. Jules and Verne discuss the future an Marty shortly after returning from 1985.**

_September 7, 1893  
4:15 PM PST_

It was almost fifteen minutes after the Brown family had returned from 1985. Jules and Verne decided to switch into their swim trucks, and they headed down to the swimming hole to do a little bit of swimming.

'So what did you think about the future, Verne?' Jules asked. 'Are you feeling excited about moving to 1985? I sure will miss all my friends, but the future seems very exciting. Dad says we can move there in about two months.'

'Why do we have to wait two months?' Verne groaned. 'I'd rather go there, now - and I really would prefer for us to 2015. I mean, 2015 is an even more exciting year than 1985. I mean, there you have boardhovers.'

'I think you mean hoverboards,' Jules corrected. 'We can't go to 2015 instead, because Dad left Marty in 1985 - and he wouldn't make his friend wait thirty years to see him again. Just think of how Marty would feel.'

'I can hardly wait to meet Marty,' Verne replied, sighing. 'He sounds like a very fun person to be around. I gather it must be great for him to live in the late 20th century. I greatly enjoy this kind of music that they have in the future. What do they call it? Rock and rail?'

'No, it's called rock and roll,' corrected Jules. 'Dad says that Marty plays the guitar in a rock and roll band. He says he used to always listen to that kind of music with Marty. Mom, however, does not appear to enjoy that kind of music so much. I wonder why not. Well, it was nice that Marty from 2015 gave us his old collection of rock and roll tapes - and for Dad to buy us a tape player with some batteries.'

'Yeah, I can hardly wait to hear more of this kind of music,' Verne gushed, nodding. 'The Gameboys are really nice, as well. We'll have to learn how to play those games. It's too bad we can't show them to our friends.'

'Would you like to visit any other time periods?' Jules asked, with curiosity. 'I'm a little curious to see what it was like in the 1920s. That's when Dad was a little boy, just like us.'

'It's very strange to think we're, in a sense, older than our father,' Verne said, awed. 'I mean, he said he wasn't even born until the year 1920. That's 27 years from now. It would be nice to hold Dad as a little baby.'

'That would probably never happen, though,' Jules commented. 'Dad would probably be so worried about causing a huge disruption in the space-time continuum. I mean, what if we were to drop him - and cause him to be injured?'

'Why would we want to drop Dad?' Verne asked, shocked. 'I love Dad, and I wouldn't ever dream of hurting him!'

'Well, I didn't mean we would do it on purpose,' Jules said, quickly. 'I mean, I was just simply giving you a small example of how we could create a time paradox. Dad says that could be a very disasterous thing to happen.'

'What is a time paradox?' Verne asked, confused. 'Why would a time paradox be disasterous?'

'All right, Verne,' Jules said, quietly. 'Let me explain to you what a time paradox is. Let's say that we do end up travelling to the year 1920, and we get a chance to hold Dad as a baby. Are you following me, Verne?'

'Yes,' replied Verne, 'we are in the year 1920 and one of us is holding Dad as a baby.'

'That is correct,' replied Jules. 'Now let's say that a bear is chasing one of us, and we run away with baby Dad in our arms. We then trip, and we drop baby Dad, causing him to split his head open and be killed.'

'That would be a very terrible thing to happen, Jules,' Verne cried out, anguished.

'Yeah, it would be,' Jules replied, 'but just calm down. I am only using this as an example. I'm not saying that it ever would happen. Do you understand what I'm saying?'

'Yeah, I guess so,' Verne said, sniffing, as he wiped away a tear that fell down his cheek.

'It's all right, Verne,' Jules said, comfortingly. 'Don't cry. The point I am trying to make is that, if we were to accidentally kill Dad as a baby, he would never grow up to become a man. As a result, he would never marry Mom, and you and I would never be born. That's when we would have a paradox.'

'Then how would be able to kill Dad, if we were never born?' Verne asked, confused.

'That's the point I was making,' replied Jules. 'That is exactly what a paradox is, Verne. To make the matters even more complicated, we were born and grew up even before Dad was born. It might cause the universe to unravel, and it might bring about the end of the world. This is a dangerous risk we would want to avoid.'

'Now I have a headache,' Verne said, sighing. 'I never realized before that time travel could be so confusing.'

'Yes, Dad says that you must always use caution when travelling through time,' explained Jules. 'In fact, I believe that is the main reason why Dad wants to move us back to 1985. Well, that along with the fact that he really misses Marty a lot. I wonder if Marty will even like us. I mean, from his perspective, Dad went from being a single man to having a family in just a few days. I wonder what the kids will be like in a hundred years.'

'It looks like there'll be a lot of fun things to do in 1985,' Verne replied, 'even though I do still somewhat wish we were moving to 2015, instead. At any rate, it's nice that we're able to move to the future.'

'You must consider how lucky we are, Verne,' Jules said, gently. 'As far as I know, there are no other kids our age whose father has a time machine. Maybe Dad will let us visit 2015 occassionally, but I believe it would take enough getting used to to adjust to the year 1985. Why don't we head back to the house, and go listen to some of that rock and roll music that we brought back with us.'

'That sounds like a great idea,' Verne gushed. 'I really like rock and roll. It's like no other music we ever heard before. It's really fun to dance along to.'

'Well, then, what are we waiting for?' urged Jules. 'Let's go. We should just remember that Dad tells us we have to keep it in the shed, because Mom doesn't really like that kind of music. She says that it's too noisy.'

Verne skipped after his older brother excitedly, as he was excitedly to hear more of this rock and roll. This would certainly tide him over for the next two months, until they can finally move to the year 1985.

oooooooooo

Within twelve minutes, the two brothers were out in the shed getting ready to some on some music, when their father went to join them. He had a huge smile on his face.

'Hey, boys,' he called out, smiling, 'I decided to make you some pizza and breadsticks, and I bought back some cans of Pepsi for you. I figured you would like to have a little taste of the 1980s, after we arrived here about an hour ago. I hope you boys enjoy yourselves.'

'Thank you so much, Daddy,' Jules and Verne said, in unison, as they threw their arms around their father.

'Enjoy yourselves,' the boys father said, as he left the shed.

'Here, let's put on this tape,' Jules suggested, as he popped the tape into the tape player.

After a few seconds, loud music came blasting from the take player. Jules and Verne stood up and started to dance.

'The power of love is a curious thing...' warbled a masculine voice, 'Make a one man weep, make another man sing... Change a hawk to a little white dove... More than a feeling, that's the power of love.'

'Tougher than diamonds, rich like cream... Stronger and harder than a bad girls dream... Make a bad one good make a wrong one right... Power of love that keeps you home at night'

The boys started to sing along with the chorus. 'You don't need money, don't take fame... Don't need no credit card to ride this train... It's strong, and it's sudden, and it's cruel sometimes... But it might just save your life... That's the power of love... That's the power of love.'

'All right, Verne,' Jules prodded, 'let's start eating our pizza, before it gets cold. It smells so deliciously.'

Verne eagerly agreed, as he sat down with his brother, and grabbed a slice. As he ate, he began to get very excited about moving to 1985 in a couple of months. Sure, he would greatly miss his friends - but there certainly was a lot to look forward to. Verne couldn't remember when he last had so much fun. 


End file.
